It took some time but we finally found a fabulous, eggless cheesecake recipe from Geetha’s Kitchen using real ingredients. No Egg replacers needed. The recipe calls for sour cream but we substitute greek yogurt for a healthier option and it is still amazingly rich and creamy. Everyone loves it. Honestly, you cannot tell it is any different than a slice from a fancy restaurant.

Directions

1) Make the Crust- Grind 1 3/4 cups of graham crackers in a small cuisinart. Pulse in 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Pour the crumbs in a large bowl with 1/2 cup of melted butter. Mix until all the butter is absorbed into the crumbs.

2) Prepare the Pan- Butter the inside of 6 small ramekins. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of small ramekins. Put the ramekins in the freezer while you make the filling. Note- You can use a 9″ cake pan for a large cheesecake.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4) Make the filling- For better results, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of cane or coconut sugar in a mixer using a paddle blade. Split the vanilla bean with the tip of a knife and scrape the pulp inside the pod into the cream cheese mixture. (You can save the pod to make creme de pot or vanilla pudding as well as add to sugar or salt to infuse the vanilla flavor. ) Add the 2 cups sour cream, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until creamy and light.

5) Water Bath- Remove the pans from the freezer and pour the mixture into the ramekins. Fill a roasting pan half way with water and place in the 375 degree preheated oven. Gently add the ramekins into the water bath. The water should be 3/4 of the way up on the ramekins.

6) Bake- Cook for 18-20 minutes in the small ramekins or 35 minutes for a 9″ pan. If the cheesecake starts to brown, cover with foil. The cheesecake is done when it rises on the sides and jiggles in the middle like jello. It will firm up when it cools. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow to cool and then place the ramekins on a baking sheet or large dish. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.

7) Serve- To remove the cheesecake from the ramekins, use the roasting pan again and fill it half way with warm water. Place the ramekins in the water so the cheesecakes will loosen on the sides. After 3 to 4 minutes, remove from the water and flip the ramekins upside down onto your hand or a plate and they will easily pop out of the pan. Or slide a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake from the ramekin.

Add a scoop of greek yogurt or whipped cream on top of the cheesecake and garnish with several raspberries or strawberries. If you have mint, add a sprig for color. Enjoy!